Through The Eyes Of A Stranger
by Hold.On.To.Your.Faith
Summary: You know Harry's story quite well. But these six teenagers were mysteriously ignored. Here are their stories. Please enjoy the recount of Emelia, Aidan, Leah, Keira, Gale and Troy's sixth year at Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One – Emelia**

I'm sixteen. I'm sixteen and I'm going back to Hogwarts tomorrow. I'm starting my sixth year there, so it's going to get pretty serious. I like most of the classes and I'm good at them too. But the real reason I'm going back is for my friends. I don't know how I could survive without them.

I met them all in different periods of my life and I need them for different circumstances. We're all spread across the four houses, so it's sometimes difficult to talk. But that doesn't matter. We always find time and we barely ever fight.

I met Aidan when I was six months old. Our mothers were best friends when they were children. He knows all of my secrets. He helped me through the year when my father died. I don't know how I would have lived without him.

Leah is a different story. We first met on the train to Hogwarts. She struck me as a very headstrong type of person and she was quick to speak her mind. I didn't like her at first, but after Professor Snape made us partners in Potions, we quickly struck up a friendship. Aidan doesn't like her, which makes me rethink our friendship sometimes – Aidan usually knows what's best.

Keira was sorted into the same house as me and we bonded over dinner. Since we were both purebloods, we didn't need to explain much to each other – but we were both fond of literature and bonded over this mutual interest. She was always very studious – she got along with another friend, Hermione Granger.

How can I explain my meeting with Gale? It was of very few words. He sat with me on the train, but was immersed in his books. We mainly grew closer because we studied in the library together. Now he is a man of many words, but only when I'm around. Otherwise, he doesn't speak. None of my friends like him, but that's because they don't know him. He's wonderful.

Troy is a great friend to me. I grew closer to him in third year when we were partnered in Ancient Runes. He's very intelligent and always seems to know what I'm thinking. He always helps me to solve my problems.

My friends and I share a bond stronger than mere friendship. We have reasons to stay together and be with each other. But most people don't understand why I want to be friends with Slytherins.

I can't wait for school to start. I want to join the Quidditch team this year, definitely. I've been practicing all summer and I want to be Keeper. I'll be so much better than Ron – even though I won't tell my friend that to his face.

We also got career advice next year and I was told that I'd make a good Healer. Aside from all of my classes, Professor McGonagall has decided to grant me permission to gain work experience at Saint Mungo's. I'm very excited for that.

With so much excitement, there's no telling what this year will bring.

--*--

_Shit! _

_Where are my spell-books? What about my robes? Why, oh why, didn't I bother to pack last night?_

The train is leaving in two hours and I'm still not packed!

"Emelia! Hurry up!" my mum calls. Her name is Catherine. But I don't call her that to her face. I inherited her green eyes and mood-swings, whilst I got my brown hair and studious demeanour from my father. Apparently, he was a reader too.

I hurry downstairs and kiss my mum on the cheek. My younger brother, Thomas, is already sitting at the kitchen table devouring a piece of toast with strawberry jam. I take my plate of eggs and bacon from Catherine and wolf it down within three minutes. Then I run back upstairs.

I strip off my red flannel nightie and pack it into my trunk. I quickly grab a pair of black flare jeans and a cream coloured shirt and throw them on. I carry my heavy purple trunk downstairs and tie my hair into a loose pony-tail.

"Are you ready, Mum?" I yell as I collect the Floo Powder.

"Yes, honey. I'm just helping Thomas with his coat." she shouts back.

Thirty seconds later, we are standing at Kings Cross Station, hurrying towards Platform Nine and Three Quarters. I see several teenagers rush through and I follow them, Catherine and Thomas behind me. I quickly spot Gale on the train. He gives me a nod.

I quickly hug Mum and Thomas goodbye and promise to write every few weeks. I jump onto the train, tugging my trunk behind me. Troy meets me at the stairs and grabs it, effortlessly pushing it into one of the train's overhead compartments.

"You always know how to make an entrance." he grins as I blow my fringe out of my face.

"Thanks." I replied, staring at him. His muscles have become more defined over the summer and his hair became a light shade of honey from the sun.

"Are you coming to sit with us?" he asked me.

"Of course. So long as I can bring Gale." I replied.

He groaned. "He's such a downer. Do you have to?"

"Of course. He's my friend and I will not abandon him on this train."

"Sure thing."

I watch Troy sit on a seat in his compartment and talk to Aidan and Keira, who are sitting across from him. I motion for Gale to come and sit with us, but he shakes his head. He points to his book and gives me a thumbs-up. I nod.

I walk into my compartment and shut the door. "Gale's busy."

I ignore the smiles that cross their faces and sit next to Troy, but not before I'm given a monstrous bear-hug from Aidan and a high-five from Keira.

I let the conversation go on without me for a while, alternating between staring at the scenery and Gale. But soon I was roped into a discussion about Quidditch by Aidan and forgot all about Gale.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two – Aidan**

"What position do you think you'll try for?" Emelia asks me.

"Probably Chaser. I've been practising with my sister all summer and she always insisted she be Seeker, her friends be Beaters and Keepers and I'd be stuck as Chaser. I actually found out that I'm pretty good." I reply with a smile.

"That's cool." Troy replies.

Keira is bored of Quidditch. She is always left out when we talk about it. "So, how did you guys go in your O.W.L.S?"

"I got seven." Emelia replies with a smile.

"That's great!" Aidan exclaims. "I got five."

"I got six." Troy replies in a bored tone. He hates talking about school.

"Eight for me!" Keira grins broadly.

Not that I'm surprised. Keira is brilliant. She is so smart and always does well at school. I'm sure she was disappointed when she got eight O.W.L.S, because she was hoping for nine.

After much pondering on this subject, I decide to change it. "Emelia, we are all wondering this right now. I was hoping you could shed some light onto it."

Emelia nods and motions for me to continue, whilst relaxing herself on the seat, her head on Troy's shoulder.

"Why do you spend so much time with Gale?" I hesitate, then realise that it's all for the best. After all, all three of us want to know.

Emelia takes a deep breath. "Why do you want to know?"

"I don't like him, Em. I just don't. I have a bad feeling about him. How can you be friends with him? Even with what he is? Even if he's a Death Eater?"

"He's not a Death Eater!" Emelia groans. "Why does everyone think that? Am I the only one who can see how wonderful he is?"

Troy snorts. "Probably."

Emelia groans again and reaches into the overhead compartment to get her trunk. "I'll see you guys at the Feast."

With that, she walks out and goes to sit across from Gale, who immediately puts down his book and becomes immersed in their conversation.

--*--

The Great Hall looks more inviting than ever when the three of us go in. Troy and Keira go to sit at the Ravenclaw table, looking sort of depressed. They hate to see Emelia upset. I direct myself to the Gryffindor table. Emelia is already sitting there and motions for me to sit with her.

I see Gale separate himself from the other Slytherins and continue to read his "fascinating" book. Emelia's friend, Leah, who I don't really like, sits across the table from Draco Malfoy. They are arguing about something.

It's not that I'm jealous if Emelia spends more time with them. It's that Keira, Troy and I are good friends for her. We make her laugh and teach her things. I don't know what she sees in Leah and Gale. They are strange people. Gale doesn't talk. He's probably a Death Eater and he is just plain weird. Leah talks too much and she's totally against the whole Death Eater thing, which kind of gives her brownie points. But still, she's very feisty and very quick to make fights. I only want the best for Emelia and I just have a bad feeling about Gale and Leah.

The sorting has begun. I lean over Emelia's shoulder and whisper my sorry. She accepts it, but asks me not to question her friendship with Gale any more. I agree to these terms, even though I know they won't stick for long.

I look over at Troy and Keira. She is paying attention to the sorting, even though Troy is being very entertaining, hovering objects over his mouth. A goblet falls into his mouth and he screams in pain. Everyone stares.

The sorting is finished. Professor McGonagall takes the chair and the hat away from the Great Hall and Professor Dumbledore stands to make his address. The Hall is immediately hushed.

"Good evening my students. And a welcome to our newly sorted first years. Classes will commence in two days time at eight thirty sharp. Don't be late. Also, another large welcome to our new Head Boy and Girl, Thomas Abbot and Paula Parkinson."

I stare. Hannah's older brother and Pansy's sister make a great team. They are truly wonderful people, even though Paula is in Slytherin. But then again, not all Slytherins are bad. I stare at Paula's sweet smile and desperately want to believe that. For Emelia's sake.

"Now," says Professor Dumbledore. "Tuck in!"

The entire Hall cheers as food appears on the plates. I turn to Hermione Granger, who is sitting on the other side of me, hesitating before she picks anything.

"Hey, Hermione. How was your summer?"

"Just fine thanks." She smiles. "How was yours?"

"Great. I had lots of Quidditch practice and I did lots of studying."

"It's good to know someone who had an ordinary summer." she laughs. "Mine was completely out of the ordinary."

"Really? What did you do?"

She hesitates. "It doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is that I had no time to go through my books."

I laugh, right on cue. "I suppose that I'll be the top of the class this year?"

"You wish!" she scowls.

Hermione and I have been competing for first place ever since we were in first year. We quickly struck up a friendship after we tied in a Charms exam. Now we always partner together, but it's always fun trying to out-do her.

I turn back to Emelia and watch her stuff an entire sausage roll in her mouth. I do the same. We spend the rest of the night chatting.

It's the end of the feast. I get up and leave Emelia, because I'm a prefect. I grab Hermione's arm and we rush to the front of the table.

"First years! This way please!" Hermione shouts bossily. I smile and motion for them to come with us. They follow, like startled fawns.

"I love this job!" I whisper to Hermione. "So much power!"

She laughs and gives me a small smile while we lead the new students to their dormitories.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three – Leah**

Happiness. It is so overrated. I haven't been happy for years and I'm still around. I have friends. Well, a friend. I do well at school and I owe it all to myself. No help from anyone.

I watch Emelia Flack walk across the corridor with Aidan and Troy. They are all laughing about something. They're all so immature. My parents and little sister, Jane, were killed by Death Eaters two years ago. How can they laugh when there is so much death and danger in the world? They'll see! They'll stop laughing soon enough!

I'm sitting at the breakfast table next to Gale, the boy with no tongue. He's checking out his timetable while drinking a glass of orange juice.

Last night I fell asleep listening to the other shallow girls in my house talk about boys and other things that have no use for me whatsoever. I have to work to look after myself every single day, since I'm a minor at home alone. No one knows this of course. They still think I live with my parents.

I check out my schedule too. It seems all right. I can't wait for double Potions. It's my favourite subject. I'm walking out to the grounds to sit under a tree when I feel someone stop and steady me, grabbing tightly onto my shoulder.

"Miss Snape. How lovely to see you again." I hear someone spit.

"Get away from me, Malfoy."

I have known Draco Malfoy ever since I was four years old. Our parents were associates. But after his father killed my family, I want nothing more than to get away from him, so he keeps following me.

"How have you been?" he asks. "Did you miss me over the summer?" His disgusting arms wrap around my waist and he removes one of them for a split second to remove a strand of loose black hair from my face. I want to be anywhere but here right now.

I try to struggle against his grasp, but he is surprisingly strong. Malfoy smiles when he can see that I cannot escape.

Suddenly, I hear a voice from behind me. The voice of my saviour.

"Let go of her, Malfoy!"

I knew it. I knew he would save me.

_Harry Potter. The boy who saved Leah Snape._

"And why should I, Potter? Why don't you just leave the girl here with me?" he sneers.

"Because no girl should be allowed within a miles' radius of you." Harry snarls angrily. His black hair is on edge and his green eyes seem to be lighting an emerald fire.

Malfoy must see something in Harry's eyes that frighten him, so he lets go of me. "I'll see you later." he says to me, blowing me a kiss.

I shudder. People like him shouldn't exist. I continue out to the courtyard. Harry follows me.

"Thanks." I say reluctantly.

"You're very welcome." he replies.

"I mean it. He's a jerk. I just wish he'd leave me alone."

"You should get a restraining order."

"I know!"

He laughs. I just stare. I haven't laughed in ages. The action is now foreign to me. Harry and I walk in silence for a little while, before he sees his friend, Ron, and leaves me. I don't care. I sit under a large beech tree in the courtyard and begin to study my new Potions book.

About a half hour later, I am joined by Gale. He doesn't speak to me and I barely acknowledge the fact that he's there. He opens his novel and is probably lost in it, because, when I left a while later, he hadn't stirred.

The boy with no tongue was also a bookworm. Could he have picked a less social hobby? Well, at least it suited him.

I head back to the castle at two o'clock for lunch. I take a seat as far away from Malfoy as I can, and am careful to avoid eating anything that would prolong my stay at the table. I am absolutely exhausted and classes haven't even started yet.

I find a seat in the library opposite Hermione Granger. She is reading the same book as me. I decide to make an attempt to be social, seeing as I am talking to my equal here.

"Hey, Hermione, what did you think of Potion 384?" I ask.

She looks up and stares at me for a bit, probably wondering why I was finally talking back to her. "It seemed difficult enough, but I'm sure I'll be able to get it. What about 317?"

"Oh, that's easy so long as you know the right way to prepare Gurdyroot."

Hermione nods sharply and returns to her book, obviously not wanting to talk. I give her the same treatment, reading my book as if it's the most interesting thing in the room.

Well, it is, aside from Christian Krum standing in the corner.

He's Viktor's cousin. I met him on one of my trips to Bulgaria and we somehow struck up a friendship because of our surliness. He is standing straight, reading a book about dragons if my eyes do not deceive me.

I've actually grown to like him quite a lot. He's a very nice guy. Since he's about as eager to talk to me as I am to him, we get along quite well. I liked his cousin Viktor too, but once he grew up, he stopped being any fun.

I take a deep breath and walk up to Christian. "Hey Chris. How are you?"

He looks up at me and shuts his book, carefully marking his place as I do.

"I'm good. I like this new climate. Very warm."

_He's talking to me about the weather?_

"Yeah. Although, I would consider it cold. It is England."

"The food here is much better too. Back at Durmstrang, we had to prepare our own food."

"Oh. That sucks. Elves do it here. They're only too happy to help."

He nods.

"Do you know what house you're in?"

He takes a deep breath. "Slytherin."

_Just my luck!_

"Cool! Me too! I guess I'll see you around. At dinner, I mean."

He nods again.

I give him a wave and walk out of the library.

_What the hell was that? You're Leah Snape! You don't get nervous around boys! Especially Christian, you've known him since you were in diapers. _

I allow my thoughts to wander as I carry myself to the common room for an afternoon nap.


End file.
